In the 1960's, Honda began venturing into the world of four wheeled vehicles after it had received ovations in the manufacture of motorcycles. The history of Honda's legendary "S" sports car series started in 1962, when they unveiled their prototype S360 and S500 motorcars in a Japanese motor show.

Capitalizing on advanced technical know-how gained in the motorcycle World Grand Prix races, their aluminum four cylinder DOHC engine used a crankshaft rotating on needle roller bearings. The front suspension was by torsion bars, and they had a novel chain drive, with the chain casings forming trailing arms of the rear suspension. Since then, the "S" series established an unrivaled reputation in the Japanese sports car category during the 60's. The top-of-line S800 debuted in 1965 motor show and appeared on the markets in January of the following year. Although its water cooled DOHC engine had only 791cc of displacement, it could rev up to 8,500 rpm smoothly.

This high revving engine was capable of yielding 70 horsepower, propelling the lightweight 710kg vehicle up to 160km/h. This compact and stylish, high performance sports car immediately caught the attention of motor enthusiasts, not only in Japan, but also in the United States. The Honda S800 was also very active in the racing circuits. Even today, the popularity and fame of this Japanese vintage sports car has never diminished.